USC survives Minnesota, 19-17.

Matt Barkley will do all he can to will USC to win but what about the defense?!

What we learned:

· Matt Barkley is an accomplished Pac-12 passer, right behind Stanford’s Andrew Luck; if not in the top 5 of pocket passers in the nation.

· Barkley and sophomore wide receiver Robert Woods make a good tandem. Woods hauled in 17 catches (becoming the only wide receiver for USC to have 17 catches in a single game, breaking former player Johnnie Morton’s record of 15 catches) for 177 yards with three TD’s, and Barkley threw for 304 yards on the day, carving up Minnesota’s defense.

· The Men of Troy’s defense looks more stout and aggressive than the previous year; they still have to work on miss tackles.

· USC Sophomore Cornerback Torrin Harris needs to play the ball better in the air; he is usually caught not knowing where the ball is. He redeemed himself with a late interception to seal the game.

· Redshirt Freshman DJ Morgan made the best of his opportunity with senior running back Marc Tyler being suspended for the first game, showing speed, power, balance and vision. Morgan will have a bright future if he keeps up his production and true grit.

· Penalties made this game closer than what the score indicated, The Trojans could have put up more points if it wasn’t for costly penalties that put them in many third and long positions.

Going Forward: 

· USC’s offense is still a work in progress and is far from being refined. At times it looked methodical with the bubble screens to Woods. Barkley will have to spread the ball around to junior Brice Butler, true freshman Marquise Lee, true freshman George Farmer and Kyle Prater (if he can stay healthy). And there has to be a more balanced approach as far as run vs. the pass.

· The defense will be tested when they host Utah (Sept. 10), @Arizona State (Sept. 24), at home against Stanford (Oct. 29) and @Oregon (Nov. 19).

· The schedule does not led up for USC as they play back-to-back away games @Cal (Oct. 13) and @Notre Dame (Oct. 22) and then have a home game against the Cardinal. This will probably be the toughest stretch the Men of Troy will face all year and it will give the pundits and fans a barometer of progress from last season, especially on defense. It’s realistic to say that USC probably could match their win total of eight games from last season. It’s all about how the defense holds up.

· I’m eager to see how Defensive Coordinator Monte Kiffin deals with various the offensives run in college and how he deals with the spread-option attack which will a be equivalent to playing Russian roulette when they go to Autzen Stadium. If Kiffin is smart, his team will watch the LSU-Oregon game and break it down from every facet to see how LSU halted the express train AKA The Oregon Ducks. But stopping the Ducks, is it an issue of athleticism and discipline??

My Two Cents-Cam Newton wins the Heisman

Newton is all smiles, let's hope the Heisman Trophy stays in his possession forever

I do not know what to believe, but we know that Cecil Newton, Cam’s father, was in the wrong with trying to solicit money from an agent linked to Mississippi State. The dark cloud that hovers over Newton has somewhat dispersed but it leaves a bad taste in the mouth of people across the nation, especially the 105 voters that left him off the Heisman ballot, entirely.

 Newton is a football player, and he should be judged by his performance on the field just like Reggie Bush. Why do we as a society look towards athletes and entertainers as role models; they are not. They have dealt with or been through the very same problems we are going through in our own lives. Young kids need to look up to their parents or relatives as role models. I’m tired of people condemning athletes for their boneheaded decisions, acting as if they can do no wrong. People--we only know the side of them that the media shows--that’s it, nothing more.

It’s unfortunate, what Cecil did, but it has become tiresome with Cam trying to smile his way through it. Its gives the public a sense of Newton trying to be coy and that does not sit well with people or me outside of the Southeastern region. The kid does seem sincere in that he had no knowledge of what his Father did, but he had to know something, right?! Maybe he did or maybe he didn’t. Either way he is your Heisman winner and we just hope that down the road, it will not be taken away from him because of all this.

During his acceptance speech, Newton made me cringe when he said, “My parents do a lot of things behind the scenes that go unnoticed.” Bad choice of words, Cam! You could almost hear those 105 voters snickering at those words. I will give him a pass because you are a ball of nerves up there in front of the Heisman Trust, the audience and the millions on television watching. However, recipients of the Heisman Trophy feel like they need to say something grand or earth-shattering. Why can’t it be short and sweet: thank your Deity, your parents, coaches, teammates, staff, the Heisman Trust, and that’s it?

Everyone deserves a second chance and to the voters that left him off the ballot, shame on you. Each of us has lapses of judgment or screw up. You cannot tell me that those 105 voters that left him off the ballot have not lied, fabricated events for a story or erroneously reported something to create a buzz; it happens and this is the society we live in. But how would this world be, if we did not give people second chances?  We are only human.

If we learn from our past transgressions and mature, who has the right to question or judge that person? If that person is showing resolve and willing to do right, give him or her break and respect them for cleaning up their life. So if it comes to past that Newton is deemed ineligible and the Heisman and National Championship is taken away then you can start heaping your pile of negativity for being duped, but until then enjoy the upcoming bowl season and the BCS title game. However, it would help if Cecil Newton came out and acknowledged his wrongdoings; and his son coming forward and admonishing the horrendous act on his father’s part (would do wonders for his sake); it would show people that Newton is grateful for playing college football and that he respects the University of Auburn for granting him this opportunity. 

Will Muschamp is the head coach of the Florida Gators

Will Muschamp will bring that fiery attitude to Gainesville

What we know:

• No head coach experience. Has served as a successful defensive coordinator for Auburn, LSU and Texas. At Texas, he was the coach-in-waiting behind Head Coach Mack Brown, but who knows when Brown will step down.
• Is known for being a good recruiter and that will help him in his new position. He has met with the recruits coming in this year and has introduced himself. He already has a commitment from the No.1 quarterback for 2011 class (Rivals.com), Jeff Driskel. So it’s very evident that he is not wasting anytime hitting the recruiting trail.
• Is a fiery, energetic person that will motivate his players; it’s easy to fall in love with his infectious personality.
• Muschamp can be successful at Florida with the right staff assembled. It is public knowledge that Major Applewhite, the former assistant coach and running backs coach of Texas, has been targeted as the next offensive coordinator. Nothing has been finalized yet, but sources say he will be the guy. Also Kirby Smart has been targeted as the defensive coordinator. Muschamp and Smart are good friends and this could lead to Smart leaving Alabama and signing for more money in Gainesville.

What we don’t know:

• Who were the other candidates for this job? Dan Mullen (of Mississippi State)?   Charlie Strong (of Louisville)? Chip Kelly (of Oregon)? Bobby Petrino (of Arkansas)?  Jim Harbaugh (of Stanford)?
• How will Muschamp handle being the head coach? With all the meetings, banquets, and other necessary things head coaches have to do, will he handle it well? What about the pressure from the media to perform?
• What will his recruiting classes look like?
• How will he fair coaching against Bobby Petrino, Les Miles, Houston Nutt, Steve Spurrier, and Nick Saban?
• Will the offense change to more of a pro-style offense? Less option-spread attack? Where does QB John Brantley fit into all of this?
• How will he game plan against Cam Newton considering how they tried to steal his spotlight on the day of the Heisman inauguration? There is definitely bad blood between these two programs, especially when reports came out of Florida about academic cheating by Newton. You can be sure he will be fired up to make a mockery of the Gator defense.
• Did Mack Brown’s push Muschamp out of the door?  After a dismal season (5-7), Brown was asked if Muschamp was going to have a say in personnel decisions and Brown soundly said “no.”

My thoughts-Auburn survives Alabama, 28-27

A pumped up Gene Chizik is riding high into the SEC Championship game, Glendale is a calling!

• Cam Newton is phenomenal. There aren’t enough adjectives to describe what he has done this season.
• Is there any question that Auburn is the No. 1 team in the nation?
• He had a tough time sledding against the ‘Bama defense. Defensive coordinator Kirby Smart and Nick Saban must have looked at what LSU did wrong on defense to slow down Newton; he only had 22 carries for 39 yards, a career low that will last for a long time.
• Alabama is still a good team, even though they only mustered a pathetic three points from their last scoring drive in the second quarter; they finished the second half with only 55 yards of production.
• Greg McElroy could do no wrong in the first half of the game, especially the first quarter. He ended the day 27-37, 377, 2TDs, a 199 yards of that total was thrown to wideout Julio Jones.
• Jones is really spectacular, but I still give the edge to South Carolina wide receiver Alshon Jeffrey.
• Alabama needs to be more balanced on offense. If one thing is working, they stick with it. And in this game it was the passing game, where was Ingram and Richardson? They both combined for only 20 touches, not enough since the running game is your bread and butter. No one wants to admit it, but the offensive line has been widely inconsistent this season.
• Shame on Ingram for erasing either a touchdown or three points by allowing the ball to be punched out of his arms for a touchback. Also the butterfingers award should be given to Richardson who dropped an easy touchdown catch. More mental errors from this Nick Saban-coached team.
• Do you think McElroy being knocked out in the fourth quarter cost them the game? I don’t think so. Even if he was in and took the lead; it would have been another thrilling comeback victory by Newton and Co.
• For all the flak that Auburn’s defense gets, they continue to make plays when needed in the second half of games. In no shape or form are they as dominant in the second half like Oregon’s defense but they get it done. And against stiffer competition than the Ducks.
• Is there an award for the most comebacks in a season?
• Gene Chizik should be the Coach of the Year and Gus Malzahn has to be the best offensive coordinator in the nation.
• Cam Newton can be a pro quarterback, but he will need to work on his footwork, first and foremost.
• Would you believe that Alabama would have lost three games this season? Not me, I thought after their uplifting win at Arkansas that they would go unscathed in the brutal Southeastern conference. Boy was I wrong on that one.
• The Heisman is Newton’s to lose.
• Steve Spurrier is lurking around the corner in the SEC title game, a familiar foe that the Tigers met in Week 4: A different South Carolina team that is playing with a hunger and also a stronger Auburn team too.

My Top Ten Teams

Who will hoist the crystal trophy?

1. Auburn-Heading into a big game (Iron Bowl) against Alabama, the allegations and news surrounding QB Cam Newton has quieted and this is much needed for the Tigers. Newton is the most valuable player this season and a win here would surely lock up the Heisman.

2. Oregon Ducks-A very high-powered offense that goes full throttle all the time. They are No.2 in total offense (542.20) in the nation. This offense can be slowed down, and Tennessee did it for one half and Cal did it all game long. If the Ducks and the Tigers win out, look for a very enjoyable BCS title game, where defense will be optional.

3. Boise State-What can be said about this feisty team that is constantly fighting to be recognized. They continue to get it done on the field on both sides of the ball; even though, I feel that they are lacking in quality opponents on their schedule, they deserve a shot at the national title. Give them a chance; let’s see what they prove to the nation. And then hopefully in the next two years we will get a plus-one format that will seed the top four teams, and hopefully this will quiet the critics of the BCS, but is anyone ever satisfied??

4. TCU-Who would have guessed this season that TCU would be the best team out of the state of Texas. Yeah you read that right, no Longhorn sighting this season as Mack Brown’s team continues to sink to the bottom of the ocean. The Horned Frogs are the No. 1 team on defense and No. 9 on offense: they are balanced team that has put up a lot of points and shutdown opponents as well. It’s a heated, neck-and-neck race between them and Boise for who gets in the national title game if Auburn or Oregon falls. Both teams won’t sniff a BCS game but one will end up in the Rose Bowl as a consolation prize, which isn’t so bad.

5. LSU-Probably the best one-loss team in the nation. I know people will argue the fact, but you cannot find fault with a team that has only one loss in the SEC. Yes, people will mention the fluky wins over Tennessee and Florida but the win against Alabama is a darn good one. Couple that with the maturity of QB Jordan Jefferson, who looks like a new quarterback, and is showing confidence in his throws and designed runs. If Jefferson keeps this up, they will beat Arkansas this upcoming week. However, they cannot get to the national title this year with Boise and TCU undefeated, and the other one-loss teams in the rear view mirror and the fact they did not win their conference, so the voters will not let them into the national title game.

6. Stanford-You cannot deny this Pac-10 team some recognition, whose only loss came to the No. 1 ranked Oregon Ducks, a game where they had a good lead but could not hold on for the win. They have good coaching and probably the best pure passer (Andrew Luck) in the league that will make a big splash when he decides to head for the NFL. Coach Harbaugh has instilled a never-die attitude in these scholars of Palo Alto. I thought there would be a major setback with running back Toby Gerhart gone for greener pastures, and the league having more tape on Luck to figure out his weaknesses but this was not the case. No longer can you think of the Cardinal bunch as a group of geeks; they are winning now and looking very good at it.

7. Wisconsin-Good quarterback play that is set up by a solid running game. This team has lived up to its expectations finally. I have been waiting for this team to step up since ’07 and now it seems they have everything figured out. Much kudos to Coach Brett Bielema for a good season.

8. Oklahoma State-The Bedlam showdown with the Oklahoma Sooners, Saturday, will determine who represents the South in Big 12 Championship game. First year starter Brandon Weeden has thrown for an amazing 3,780 with 30 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. His main target is wide receiver Justin Blackmon (Biletnikoff finalist and likely winner) who has 1,560 and 17 touchdowns; this kid is amazing: his speed and physicality and good hands have made him a wet dream for NFL scouts. The Cowboys has the most explosive offense besides Oregon and Auburn. The Sooners better have that defense ready.

9. Alabama-the defending National Champs will not get a chance to repeat with two losses on the season. However, if they knock off their heated rival No. 2 ranked Auburn in the Iron Bowl that could go a long way for this squad for next season. The Crimson Tide’s running game has all but disappeared due to inconsistent play on the offensive line, and Greg McEleroy has played OK this season but not great. I think the offense needs to reinvent itself; you have to find ways to move the ball and put up six points on the board, field goals won’t do.

10. Ohio State-Terrelle Pryor’s comeback win against Iowa last week was a big win. Coach Tressel let Pryor loose a bit and it showed with him running with conviction and making the necessary throws for his team to win. If only we could get a full, consistent game from Pryor then we can give him the kudos he deserves and he can finally live up to the hype surrounding him coming to Columbus. I don’t see Wisconsin losing this weekend, so the Buckeyes will get their share of the Big Ten Title but the Badgers will go on to play in the Rose Bowl.

They did it: South Carolina goes to their first ever SEC Championship game behind the legs of freshman running back Marcus Lattimore, 36-14

Steve Spurrier is on his way to the SEC Championship game

It wasn’t exciting but no one expected it; no one thought the inconsistent and often manic Gamecocks could knock off the Florida Gators in the swamp but they did. Steve Spurrier got his signature win as head coach --going to their first ever SEC title game and downing the Gators at home (for the first time)--which they never done.

South Carolina was intent on running the ball down Florida’s throat, and they did so with freshman running back Marcus Lattimore, a home-grown talent, to the tune of 40 carries, 212 yards with 3 TDs. Mistake-free football was on the agenda last Saturday night in the Swamp.

QB Stephen Garcia was a modest, albeit unimpressive 15-26, 156 yards, O TDS, O INTs.  All the staff has asked of Garcia is that he does not turn the ball over and that is what he did; his partner in crime, wideout Alshon Jeffrey had no TDs on the night and only had 53 yards receiving, something you would not expect from the best wide receiver in the SEC or the nation, for that matter.

Spurrier could not ask for a better performance from the offense and defense, and especially from Lattimore that has exceeded expectations since his first snap. Who would have thought that Spurrier would have a freshman standout at running back?!  He is known for having and grooming superb quarterbacks, but Lattimore has fallen into his lap and he is willing to ride this kid to a victory in the SEC Championship game.

But I’m here to caution that they cannot beat Auburn in the title game with just running the ball and not passing for more than Garcia did. It will not happen. The Tigers will put up a bunch of points on the scoreboard and will continue until the final whistle. We all know that special player, Cam Newton; he is on a tear this season and he has one victory over South Carolina and he is looking for another one that will bring his team closer to Glendale.

Will Marcus Lattimore be healthy when they face Auburn?

It’s scary to think that Lattimore had 40 carries in the last game. This kid has been nicked up and I can already tell that he will continue to play his career at not a hundred percent. He runs hard and he is a north-south runner and that is fine. However, his style of running and the number of carries will cause him to wear down when they need him. Watching him in high school, ball security was a problem whenever he was over-utilized in a game and so far it has not been an issue, but it might if they continue to run him into the ground.

The Gamecocks have two more games left, Troy at home and @Clemson (their rival). It will be interesting to see how Lattimore is used in those games. You do not want him limping into the SEC title game because that will be a big problem. For South Carolina to flourish they need to open up all facets of their offense, this will make this team unstoppable like they were against then No. 1 Alabama.

Going forward to next season, it will be trying times (for South Carolina) where the departure of Garcia, at quarterback, and the insertion of Connor Shaw, will challenge the staff to not overuse Lattimore with a young quarterback. They will need to find ways to keep him fresh since they will have to rely heavily on the run game with a green quarterback behind center. I’m curious to see if Lattimore will be healthy come his junior year and if the wheels will fall off this wagon.

For now the future is bright for Spurrier and he has a huge game with Clemson and the title game to prepare for. He wanted to play close to the vest against Florida (and it worked) but how will this offense look against Clemson and Auburn? Will being conservative get this program a much needed win over Clemson and a much bigger win against Auburn?

Auburn downs Georgia behind the performance of Cam Newton, 49-31

I do not know what to say, or even how to express how enamored, awestruck, and baffled at Cam Newton. This kid is special, no one knew he would be this special, but I bet Gene Chizik and his staff would tell you they did. I crown Auburn as the best team in the nation, with Oregon escaping a scare against Cal (15-13); there is no doubt in my mind that the Tigers are the crème de la crème.

With all the swirling allegations about the recruitment of Newton to Mississippi State, Newton got it done on Saturday which he has been doing for eleven weeks now. Yeah, people are going to start piping up about Auburn’s luxury of home games this season, not playing defense, and they have to go to Tuscaloosa to play a pretty good Alabama team but for Newton it’s no sweat.

Cam Newton deserves Ric Flair's robe and heavyweight title

Players respond differently to adversity, some fold under the pressure and others rise to the occasion and that is what Newton did and his teammates. Newton made some NFL-type throws on a rope that were beautiful. He was playing with an angry streak, showing the doubters that he is unaffected by all this mess and hubris surrounding him. If there is one thing I know is that you do not want to play against a pissed off Newton, that’s for sure. The Crimson Tide better hope there is no damning reports coming out in the next ten days leading up to their Nov. 26^th showdown.

I’m usually level headed, but I say to hell with defense just score. And that is why I say Auburn will beat Alabama. Make it a track meet and watch the Tigers sink ‘Bama. There is a growing fear that if Newton touches the ball, they are going to score. So all those analysts can talk about Nick Saban telling his boys to run the ball (what running game, I say) and control the clock, but every time you turn it over, Auburn will score. You cannot kick field goals to beat this team and if the Crimson Tide is going to wait for the second half to wake up and game plan against the Tigers it will be too late.

This is Newton’s year (eighth player in FBS history to have 1,000 yards rushing and 2,000 yards passing), and he will seize the opportunity. I know earlier in the season, I compared Newton to Terrelle Pryor and forgive me for that. I had water on my brain. For the record, Pryor wishes he had Newton’s ability. Pryor should be utilizing his size (6’6, 233) in a better manner: bowl over defenders, stiff arm them, and show some true grit! Until Pryor shows urgency at the quarterback position, Ohio State will not play for the national title.

 Newton plays with fervor and moxie that Pryor does not show on Saturdays.  To be a star athlete you got to have a nasty streak and you got leave it all on the field, every time you step out there or why bother lacing up the boots. Newton has that mercurial touch and hopefully instead of turning things to gold, he can make a crystal trophy appear in his hands.

So Kirby Smart and Saban better be ready, bring all your powerful weapons because Auburn will be ready this time and it will be in their favor.  And Alabama’s offensive line better be ready for DT Nick Fairley and friends because they will be coming for blood.